Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-03-08

a
coull imlSine-patches Of crimson clov2r,
patches of white clover. beds OF orange
trnfoils, beds Of bluest speedwel, and tall
rel ragged robins everywhere. Then
there was the hum of the bees, rs they
BANNED from flower TO flower, the sweet
perfume Of the clover and the wild, glad
notes Of the chaflie near his nest in the
larc tree. And-ycs, and Jamie voice,
sweeter To me than all. Did love jamie!
l dinna ken. Jamie never what you
might call made love TO me, but dare
say | did like him wee bit Bonnie
black hair had Jamie, blue, blue cen, rosy
dimplcd cheeks, a cockit bonnet wi long
strings that fluttered DER his back and
shoulders, and such winsome smile!
No, he never made love like, but he
would talk for an hour at time about
his horses and kye, and used just to
look and laugh and listen.
You may be think I'm dwelling too
long on my younger days and our happy
life at the little farm on the braehead-
but the rest Of my story is all so sad.
I'm sure enough that neither Johnnie
nor ever gave thought for tomorrow.
In this respect we fulfilled the Scriptures
right enough. 1t never struck US that
our present life would not last till we
closed our eyes for aye and went to sleep
in the moods.
But one wet, rough winters evening,
with the wind moaning in the chimney
and the cold snow and sleet tearing over
the hills and through the woods, father
came home looking wan and queer. No,
no, cannot dwell on this. That night
he took to his bed, and in spite Of the
doctors attention, in spite Of the kind
ness of an English lady who was dwell
ing at the big house, he slipt quietly
away one night and joined our mother
in heaven.
What a change! The funeral past and
broken up home. Everything except
the old eight-day clock, which Grannie
wouldn't part with, sold by roup, Gran
ME herself dwelling in little hut by the
hillside, and Johnnie soldier in the gal
liant Forty-twa. And right handsome
did he look in his Highland dress, with
his brawny legs and his bonnet and
plumes.
And Ia simple servant lassie. For
the kind English lady had taken quite a
fancy TO me and was bound for the
south as her maid. As the train rolled
away from the station. as | lost sight Il
the woods, and hills and bonnie braes,
what could | do but lean back in corner
of the carriage and cry-lassie like. Poor
Jamie, too!
Grief does not break young hearts, and
in my new home at Southsea. everything
was very new indeed. and my heart leapt
up one day with nameless JOY whrn |
heard that the Forty-second was coming
to Portsmouth.
Ny mistress was kindness itself, and
consideration, too. She was q lady,
though not rich, and I'm sure would
have bitten her tongue at any time rather
than say a single word 10 wound the
feelings OF hurt the heart of q simple ser
want lassie. All. would that all mis-,
tresses were the same! She never hin
dered me from going out, and, indeed
often suggested it. And so, many Were
the walks Johnnie and had on the
ramparts. and many a talk of the dear
I old times that even now seemed so far
away.
And my mistress had always a kind
word and smile for me, and talhed so
naturally and so encouragincly that at
any time | believe / would have laid
down my life IN save hers. After q few
months of Portsmouth LIE my mistress
and | started to spend few weeks in
France. Johnnie saw us of. lnd think
see The handsome, manly boy yet, with
the sunny smile on his sunbunt face. in
the dark tartan kilt and white spats,
standing there on the station waving US
good by with his bonnet and piumcs.
We were two months away. but re-
turned at last, and the very next morn
! ing went 10 sec for Johnnie.
! was rounding the corner Of street,
when the slow. half mufiled sound of
drums fell on my ear, and presently l
could hear the music itself. 1t was a
dirge. a coronach, played by tho pipers.
II was no ordinary dead march. II was the
grand old hymn, Johnnie's song and
mine:
o! come-come-wlth-me
To-the-aud- Kirk yard
To every word there was a stroke Of
the drum and step of the men. And
yonder is the coffin and the bonnet and
feathers.
"Who is-d-d-dead?" cried.
clutching the arm Of a soldier who stood
near me.
He must have seen was choking.
He put one arm round my waist kindly
as he replied:
Poor Jack Mclean, my lass. Are
you his sweetheart
/ remember nothing more for weeks,
for all this time ! lay raving with brain
fever.
A year had passed away and change
had come over my situation in life. For
my dear. kind mistress was obliged to give
up house and 60 abroad, and / was en-
gagged as general servant to lady in
Portsmouth.
Now / was TO know what indeed II
meant TO be simple servant lassie under
thoughtless and unkind mistress. Per-
haps she did not really mean 10 be un-
kind, perhaps she could not help it. be-
lieve that. hard though her heart un-
doubtedly was, she would often have felt
for me could she but have known how
her words used to burn into my feelings.
I'm sure i tried to please her. I'm sure
! did what I could and as well as l could,
but my whole life soon became burden
TO me. used to go 10 my room and,
| don't lau0h ,ry a,d ,,ra, Tln, I,,I,,ad